WHEN SPIRITUAL LEADERS OFFEND

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. (Mark 9:42, NIV). In v. 41, the Lord promises a reward will be given to anyone for the simple act of giving a cup of cold water in His name. On the flip-side of this coin, the Lord speaks of the severity of the judgement for anyone who causes another believer to stumble.

The verses above speak to the consequences of anyone who causes another believer to stumble. But what does the Bible say about spiritual leaders who cause others to stumble? [For simplicity's sake I will refer from this point on to all spiritual leaders - whether pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc. - as simply pastor(s).] Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1) Pastors should always be on high alert lest they cause others to stumble. It would be great foolishness on their part to do otherwise in light of this, and many other Scriptural warnings. But my purpose is not to bash or criticize pastors. There's enough of that already going on in churches today. I don't need or desire to pile on.

My concern is for the laity in the church who have been offended and harmed spiritually by their pastor. If you haven't ever had a pastor offend you, you are either a newborn believer and haven't been in church very long, or you're clueless to when you should be offended. This is as certain as death and taxes. Jesus himself said, "...Offenses will certainly come..." (Luke 17:1).

The first problem we need to address is perception. We are shocked when our pastors blow it. How could these holy men and women of God mess up like that? Too many in the church today elevate their pastors to God-like status. Jesus never sinned and neither should they. Here's a news-flash; they get into their clothes in the morning just like you and me. I hate to admit this, but as I get older, it is quite common for me to wear some of the food home that I've been eating when I sit down at a restaurant for a meal. A lot of the time I'm aware of it. The worse part is when I'm not aware of it and no one (like my wife) tells me. During the course of ministry pastors will at times get stuff on their spiritual clothes, and sadly, many times they will not even be aware of it. By saying this I am not implying that we are to get in their face and let them know how slovenly their righteous garments appear to us.

The longer I live the more aware I am of my need for others, who care about me, to be generous in their grace and mercy towards me. It may not be because I make more mistakes now that I'm older, although that may be the case, but I'm just more aware of them. And the reason I'm more aware of them is because I'm able to spend more time in His Word since I've retired. James 1:22-24, (CEV,) says, "Obey God's message! Don't fool yourselves by just listening to it. If you hear the message and don't obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget." I've been looking more intently into His mirror, and as a result, I've gained a better perspective of who I am and it has certainly helped me to be more empathetic, less critical and judgmental to shortcomings in others, especially pastors, and less inclined to want to point out their faults to them.

That's not to say there won't be times when pastors sin and those sins need to be addressed publicly. There are way too many stories in religious, as well as secular publications, of men of the cloth falling into gross sin, and bringing shame and disrepute upon the name of Christ and the Church. We live in an age of so called "tolerance", but continual, persistent sin by pastors, when brought to light, should not be tolerated. These matters should be addressed by the body politic and with strict adherence to Scriptural guidelines (1 Timothy 5:19-20; Galatians 2:11ff; Titus 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:17-18; Titus 1:10-16).

I believe we are to follow the injunction given to us by John the Apostle in 1 John 5:16, "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." It's one thing for a pastor to make a mistake or blow it from time to time. After all, they are human. That's what I would call "a sin which is not unto death." In those times we should forgive them and pray that God will forgive them as well. Persistent, unrepentant sin, is the sin that brings death to a pastor's relationship with God and the right to lead. We should not pray for God to forgive them until they themselves truly repent [this should be proven over time - “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8)], and ask for and receive forgiveness from God.

Truth #1: We, laity, need to forgive and as much as possible forget. "When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent." I have no way that I know of to prove this, but I suspect most pastors that hurt and offend their congregants do so by things that they say that are misunderstood, or said and done when they've been under a lot of stress from outside, as well as inside the church. It is true, though hopefully not that common, that because many people hold pastors with a God-like status, pastor's can begin to believe that their people are there to serve them, rather than the opposite. (You may be offended by this statement if you are a pastor reading this. A little introspection can be helpful at times.)

I want to illustrate Truth #1by an example many of you will identify with. I was 57 before I was married for the first and only time. That's not what most of you will identify with. I'm still very happily married. But, when my beloved and I were dating I'm sure she was in utter disbelief. I can imagine her saying, although she would never admit it, "How could this stud-muffin, this perfect guy, still be available." If I were actually saying this, my tongue would be firmly planted in my cheek. But as time has passed, she has found a flaw in the slaw. Many actually. And yet she still loves me, of which I am eternally grateful. She chooses to overlook my many flaws because of her love for me.

If you are reading this and your pastor has hurt you, if you love them, forgive them. Many who have been offended by their pastor have left the church, where God had placed them, and have gone to another church, or left the church entirely. Jesus said in Luke 7:47, “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” If you, like I, have been forgiven much, we will love much and be willing to overlook the sins and failures of our pastor. If we don't see ourselves as the great sinners we were, and at times are, and in need of His forgiveness, we will be less loving and forgiving of others. FORGIVE THEM!!!

Truth #2: The ones who wanted to harm Jesus the most were the spiritual leaders of His day. I will keep this point short and sweet. An easy study would be to search the four gospels and find out how many times the religious leaders of the Jews wanted to kill Him. In the end they finally succeeded. Did Jesus get offended and stop going to the synagogue? I don't think so. Through His entire 3 1/2 years of ministry He was continually in the temple. He came to minister to all those who would receive Him, and those who wouldn't. "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense" (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22). What is God's (Jesus') glory? In other words, what is He famous for? He is famous for His love and forgiveness. Even though the religious leaders hated and reviled Him, He was ready and willing to forgive them.

The ones who can cause us the greatest harm are the ones from which we least expect it , pastors. If our enemies harm us, it's expected. But when the ones who are supposed to love us the most hurt us, it's devastating. "If someone asks, 'What are these wounds on your body?' they will answer, 'The wounds I was given at the house of my friends'" (Zechariah 13:6).

In light of this, when we stand before Christ at the Bema Judgement (2 Corinthians 5:10), how understanding do you think He will be when He questions us as to why we left the church where He wanted us to be, or when we left the church entirely? "But Jesus, they hurt my feelings!!" "But Jesus, they offended me with their tone of voice!!" "But Jesus, they didn't really recognize how gifted I was and how much I gave to the church!!" How do you think that will fly in the face of the one who was crucified by His spiritual leaders, and yet remained faithful? These examples can come across as petty. I personally would say they are, unless there's a cumulative effect. If your pastor commits some of these offenses on a frequent basis, then it might behoove you to find a different church.

In no way do I mean to make light of what you may have gone through. There are a vast multitude of people who have been spiritually and even physically abused by their pastors and they may have even gotten away with it. Some pastors just got the proverbial slap on the wrist from their church denominational leaders. Others didn't even get that. For most of you this verse is true. "After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin" (Hebrews 12:4, NLT). But there is one who has and his name is Jesus. I'm not able to guarantee many things, but this one thing I'm sure of. If those pastors who are guilty of harming the flock that they are under-shepherds of have not repented and asked for forgiveness, they will one day face the one who gave His all for His sheep. I pity those pastors. He was the perfect lamb of God, when here on this earth, but on that day they will experience the wrath of the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Truth #3: The smallest universe we can live in is the universe of self. I believe the root-cause of sin (the one from which all other sins originate from), is the sin of unbelief. The one that is a close second in my book, these days, is self-love. In 2 Timothy 3:2 the apostle Paul gives a list of sins that will be prevalent in the last days. It begins with "People will be lovers of themselves...". I believe the list of 17 other sins emanate from self-love. I actually found a website (kidadl.com) which lists "100 Best 'Focus On Yourself' Quotes About Putting You First." Today it's all about self-worth, self-love, you deserve to be happy, nobody has the right to judge you. And let's not forget the now common word in our vocabulary, "selfies." We are a nation of self-focused people and way too easily offended. As a result we have to walk around like we are walking on egg shells. Another way to say this is, "The smallest package is the person wrapped up in himself."

What are we to do with these Scriptures that are totally contrary to what the world says is best for us? Jesus called the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]" (Mark 8:34, AMP). The Contemporary English Version says it this way: "Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said: 'If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me.'"

Jesus is calling us to come closer to Him. Paul says it this way - we are to be "imitators of Christ" (Ephesians 5:1). A good reminder of how we are to act out of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Truth #4: There are no perfect pastors. They all have feet of clay. Here's another guarantee I can give you. If you sit under a pastor's ministry long enough, they will offend you. Let me have a pretend conversation with you.

You: Boy, if only my pastor could be like Moses.

Me: Really??!! "So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:9-10). He lost his temper in the pulpit and God was so displeased (angry?) with him that he lost the privilege of leading the Israelites into the promised land.

You: Ok then. I know - Abraham would have been a great pastor. He was the father of the faith. Just google "father of the faith" and his name comes up. You can't get a better pastor than that!

Me: I've got a little problem with Abe. God gave him a promise of a son, but when his wife got tired of waiting, she talked him into taking her maid as his second wife (Genesis 16). As a result we have a mess in the Middle East that we are dealing with to this very day.

You: Well, how about Elijah? He was one of the greatest prophets in the Bible.

Me: Yes he was. But when Jezebel threatened his life he got so scared and depressed, he left his congregation, ran off into the wilderness, and asked God to let him die. Not only that, there was the time King Ahaziah sent three different captains with their company of fifty men to get Elijah (2 Kings 1) . Elijah called down fire from heaven on the first two captains and their companies, turning them into crispy-critters.

You: Alright. What about his protégé, Elisha? He asked Elijah for a double portion of his spirit to rest on him (2 Kings 2:9). From what I heard he did twice as many miracles as Elijah. I don't know if you know this or not, but there's a story of some guys who were on their way to bury their friend when they saw a band of raiders in the distance; so they threw the man's body into Elisha's tomb. When the man's body touched the bones of Elisha he came to life and stood up on his feet (2 Kings 13:20-21). Surely I couldn't find a better pastor than that?!

Me: Elisha, just like Elijah, would have been a public relations nightmare for you as a pastor. Do you remember the story about a group of boys; [That's a whole "nuther" story. That's the way they say it in Arkansas. They were actually young men.], that were mocking Elisha. He turned around and cursed them and two she-bears came out and tore them up. Forty-two of them! How well do you think a pastor like that today would go over with the local community. The ones they were supposed to be teaching the good news about the God of Abraham became so much fodder for their curses. Have you forgotten how many churches were shut down during the Covid pandemic because the pastor's were concerned that their communities would accuse them of not caring about the health of the citizens? [Author's note: I don't mean to paint all pastors with a broad brush. There is a legitimate concern with the ramifications of how the world views the local church's actions. Each pastor will ultimately answer to the Lord regarding that matter. Pastor's also had to consider the Biblical injunction given by the apostle Paul in Romans 13:1, "All of you must obey those who rule over you." It's easy for me, not being a pastor, to be an armchair quarterback. My beliefs were based on the constitutionality of the forced shutdowns.]

You: David? He was the greatest king Israel had in all of their history.

Me: He committed adultery with the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers and and then murdered him when he couldn't cover it up.

You: Well, obviously we need to choose a pastor from the New Testament. There's Peter. Now that's my guy! The Catholic church says he's the one that the church is built on.

Me: You have definitely made a good choice with him. As a matter of fact, the night before his scheduled execution he was chained between two guards and slept like a baby. Uh-oh! I just remembered the story Paul told about ole Pete when he came to Galatia. "When Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group (Galatians 2:11-13). Here was a guy who stared death in the face and slept like a baby but Paul had to get up in his grill and, for all intents and purposes, call him a hypocrite. He wasn't afraid of death but he ran in fear from other peoples opinions.

You: Wow, man, you're hard. But I've got you now. I've finally figured it out. My pastor of choice, if it were possible to have him, would be - the apostle Paul! He is considered by many to be the greatest of all the apostles. Not only that, he was the author of at least one - quarter of the New testament. (There is controversy among Bible scholars concerning the per-centage.) I rest my case.

Me: Sorry, he would have been a great choice except for the fact that he had such a disagreement with Silas about allowing John, called Mark, to join them on their second missionary journey that they parted ways. Paul was ready to kick John Mark to the curb (Luke 15:36-41). I personally need a pastor that is a little more understanding of my weaknesses and willing to work with me despite them.

Let me finish by reminding you of the story of when Jesus, Peter, James, and John went up on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew 17. Moses and Elijah appeared and began to have a conversation with Jesus. Here's what happened next. " Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”(emphasis added)

The Holy Spirit showed me recently what I had missed many times before when reading this passage. Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets. There couldn't be three greater men than these to Peter, James, and John. Peter as much as said so: "And Peter answering said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, I will make here three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah" (Luke 17:4, Berean Literal Bible). Did you catch that? Tabernacle conveys the idea of the tabernacle in the wilderness where they worshipped God. Peter was putting Moses and Elijah on the same level as Jesus!

God the Father wouldn't have any of that. Jesus was God very God. As greatly used as they were by God, they were still mere mortals. While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”(v. 5, emphasis added) Jesus is and always will be the preeminent one. They were terrified and fell on their faces. Now comes possibly my favorite verse in the Bible. [I say possibly - it's so hard to decide. There are so many great ones!] Verse 8: "When they looked up they saw no one except Jesus."

If you are reading this and your thinking about leaving the church where God has placed you, please don't sell yourself short. There is someone there that needs your gifting. You will never know, until you get to heaven, that you may be there for such a time as this.

We need to look up until we see Jesus and Jesus only.